Pogroms in Russia, Roma Houses Burned

23. 11. 2005

Novosibirsk, RUSSIA- Two Romani houses were burned on November 10 in Iskitim (Novosibirsk oblast) according to the European Roma Rights Center, Budapest (ERRC) sources. One Romani woman sustained severe injures and her child died three days later due to the arson attack. This grave incident is the culmination of a wave of violence against Roma that has remained without efficient law enforcement response to date.

For instance, on February 14, 2005, approximately twenty individuals attacked and burned a number of Romani houses in that town. According to reports, the assailants managed to destroy entirely around ten dwellings in the course of the attack. After the incident, the Romani inhabitants were forced to leave their houses. Similar acts of violence had reportedly also taken place in January 2005 and in April 2005. Earlier ERRC sent a letter of concern to Mr. Afanasiev, deputy prosecutor of Novosibirsk oblast, who replied promising to act on the concerns. After the transaction, this latest house burning occurred. Further to this latest wave of violence, ERRC sent a letter of concern on November 17, 2005 to Mr. Vlamidir Tokarev, Prosecutor of the Novosibirsk Oblast, copied to the Prosecutor-General of the Russian Federation and to the Human Rights Ombudsman in the Russian Federation.

ERRC has requested that all perpetrators involved in the recent violent arson attacks on the homes of Roma in Iskitim be swiftly brought to justice, and that the victims be protected from further abuse and to take further precautions in their power to ensure protection for those Romani people who live in Iskitim.

(Roma Press Center Budapest/ERRC)

EDITORIAL COMMENT:Those pogroms in the Novosibirsk oblast and several other regions are an ongoing affair, it would seem, and not a single word is being mentioned anywhere in the Western world, so vociferous would it be any other ethnic group such a Chechens or Turks or Jews or whatever. But then it is only "Dirty Gyppos" so, once again, no one could give a toss.